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Bristow Family History

Bristow Name Meaning

English:: habitational name from the city of Bristol named in Old English with brycg ‘bridge’ + stōw ‘assembly place’. Bristow was the usual spoken form until at least the 17th century but from the 12th century clerks had frequently spelled the name Bristol(lia) using an inverted Anglo-Norman French spelling of -ol- for -ou-. The written form Bristol gradually replaced Bristow as the usual pronunciation. habitational name from Burstow or Bristow Farm in Frimley (both in Surrey) both meaning ‘the fortified place’ from Old English burh ‘fortified (place)’ + stōw ‘assembly place’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Barstow, Bristol, Brinton, Wriston, Briscoe, Gritton, Whiston

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Where is the Bristow family from?

You can see how Bristow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bristow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bristow families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 900 Bristow families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Bristow's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bristow families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bristow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bristow ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bristow. 8% of Bristow men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Bristow women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bristow were Incapacitated and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Bristow | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Gardener
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bristow family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 136,000 census records available for the last name Bristow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bristow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bristow

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Bristow. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bristow immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Bristow. For the veterans among your Bristow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bristow military records

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What is the average Bristow lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Bristow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bristow in 1942 was 36, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bristow

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